"Here we are."

Mino gazed up at the open city. Just like Naeun had told him, the city was beautiful. It was filled with colors, both bright and dark. In a strange sense, the colors complemented each other and appealed to everyone's eyes.

"Come on," Myungsoo told him. He turned to face him. "Cover your face more with the hood. Someone is going to notice."

"Oh, right. Sorry," Mino murmured. He pulled down his hood to cover his eyes while lowering his head. Once again, he was glad to know that Jieun had the powers to grant whatever wish she desired. Having her wish for two large cloaks proved to be useful, especially in their situation.

"Is there anywhere you want to go in particular?" Myungsoo asked.

"No, not exactly," Mino said honestly. He paused. "Do you know where the library is or any forbidden areas?"

"Library? Forbidden areas?" Myungsoo frowned. "What are you planning?"

Sharp as always, Mino thought. "Nothing. Why do you think I'm planning something?"

"I mean, if you're asking me where 'forbidden areas' are, then I'm going to assume that you're thinking of doing something dangerous," Myungsoo pointed out.

I should've thought a better way to phrase my words, Mino thought. "Are you worried?"

"Honestly, yeah."

"Don't be. I'm just trying to find a way for me and Jieun to get back home," Mino said. He looked at him. "Don't you want to go back home, too?"

Myungsoo pressed his lips, then looked up at the rainbow-filled sky. He made a small smile. 

"Nah."

"No? Why not?"

"I just want to stay here and protect Naeun. She seems perfectly content being here," Myungsoo said. He gave Mino a bashful grin. "Wherever she goes, then I'll go."

"But she's chasing after Taemin. What if she never comes to you?" Mino inquired.

"If that makes her happy, then that's all I wish for," Myungsoo said.

Mino frowned. "You shouldn't think so open-mindedly. Be a man, fight a little."

"Nah. I'm good with where I am," Myungsoo assured him. He took a deep breath. "Come on. Let's hurry up and get the things we need for Naeun. Jieun and Taemin must be waiting for us."

"Alright, but do you mind if we split for a bit?"

"Are you really going to go to the 'forbidden areas' and stuff?"

"I'll be safe. I promise."

"Mino, you don't even have powers."

"I… have my ways," Mino murmured. He awkwardly rubbed the bandaged mark on his neck. "Don't worry about me, okay? If anything happens, then I'll run back to the cottage."

"Fine. We'll meet up back here when we're done, okay? Don't take too long," Myungsoo ordered. Mino nodded his head.

The two boys went on different paths, searching for different items. As the boys disappeared into the crowd, an invisible creature wearing a white robe with a flower and a spear started to make its way through the busy crowd. The hornless goat-like creature walked backwards rapidly, clapping its large pointy ears while whipping around its long tail.

The sigbin continued to make its way into the shadows, where the area was vacant and isolated. It scurried over to its owner, who was also wearing the same kind of royal robe. The owner slightly parted its robe, allowing the sigbin to enter and crawl up to rest on the owner's chest. It hissed and snapped for a while, communicating with the owner, who listened to the blood- creature with pure amusement.

"Two of the five Wanted Ones are here, you say?" the owner murmured mysteriously. The creature smirked wildly, showing off its vampiric fangs. "Well, it'd be a shame if we don't greet them soon." The sigbin hissed. "Oh, don't worry. I'll save one of the two for you. It'll last you for a couple of days." The creature snapped happily. "I heard that Captain Sohee from the Third Court and Captain Yonghwa from the Fourth Court are coming along this path. We should visit the Wanted Ones now and hope that the two other rats don't get to them before me." He pulled down his hood and his bloody fangs. "Captain Yoseob of the Fifth Court reporting for duty."

Jieun looked out the window in a dull manner as she watched Naeun grind herbs in a bowl. She glanced over to her side, noticing that Taemin was playing with a small ball of fire. She looked around, trying to figure out what she should do to keep herself busy. If she went to ask Naeun if there was anything she could do, she was sure that Naeun would push her away. She was also sure that if she asked Taemin to play, he'd refuse and focus on strengthening his powers.

I'm so bored, she thought with a heavy sigh. I wish I wasn't a wanted person. Then I would've went into the city with Mino and read some books.

"You look bored," Taemin commented.

"I am," Jieun said. Another sigh escaped her lips. "Is there anything that I can do around here?"

Taemin paused and stared at her. "Why don't you focus on mastering your powers?"

"They are mastered."

"Are they?" Taemin asked. "Usually once you get the basics down, you can further extend that power to be something special."

"Special?"

"Like my Final Judgement," Taemin started. "At the very basic, I can probably wield my flames and use it as a weapon, but I unlocked this powers more by unlocking Final Judgement, where I can burn someone to death, rewrite their fate, and bring them back to life with my flames."

"Is that what happened to me when you did Final Judgement?" Jieun asked.

"Exactly. I used a special type of flame where you don't feel any pain or difference in temperature. Your body was, in a sense, 'burning,' but at the same time, it was also 'preserving.'"

"So you're suggesting that I have this other special power within me or something?" she asked.

"Well, that's hard to say. Galaxial powers haven't been around here for ages. Plus, you're a two-stoned wielder. Usually, multi-stoned users are unable to unlock their special powers."

"Why not?"

"By unlocking your special powers, a multi-stoned user will face immediate death." Jieun stopped and stared at him with wide eyes as Taemin calmly traced his flames across the palm of his hand. "It's so 'godly' that a normal creature won't be able to bear the weight of the powers." He gave her a sharp, mysterious look. "Don't be so greedy with your powers."

Jieun gulped and nodded her head. For a moment, she swore that she had sensed something different from Taemin. The way he looked at her and the way his eyes flickered under the dim cottage made her feel as if she was receiving a warning from someone important.

"W-When do you think Mino is coming back?" Jieun asked, trying to change the subject.

"Who knows," Taemin said. He stared at the flame on the tip of his fingers and made a small, secretive smirk. "It'd be terrible if something bad happened to them, right?"

Jieun frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing. Does it sounds like I have something to say?" Taemin asked. Jieun shook his head. "Well, if you have nothing better to do, then you might as well and go help Naeun."

"But I don't know a clue about medical stuff."

"Who said that they had to be medical?" he asked. "Why don't you go and pick fruits or something?"

"I thought I wasn't allowed to leave this place," she retorted.

"Nothing bad will happen," he said. "Besides, if anything does happen, then I'll come and rescue you."

Jieun stared at him. After a few minutes, she let out a sigh and grabbed a small basket from the counter. She walked out, ready to find something to eat.

Five minutes later, Naeun came back into the cottage with her medicine all bottled up. She stared at Taemin with a deep frown, as if she wasn't pleased with what he was doing. He stopped playing with his fire and looked at her.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I saw Jieun go into the forest," Naeun said. "Are you trying to get rid of her?"

He snorted. "No. Why would I want to get rid of her?"

"Do you like her?" Naeun asked. Taemin eyed at her. "Do you like her more than me?"

"If I do, what would you say?"

Naeun didn't keep her eyes off of him. She stared at him with a serious gaze, as if she was half-offended by the message he was trying to convey. She curled her fingers up into a fist, digging her nails into the palm of her hand. She bit her bottom lip angrily, not understanding why he would find interest in Jieun in a romantic fashion. Without a second thought, she turned away and was about to storm out of the house until Taemin stopped her.

"What are you thinking?" he inquired. "You're not planning to chase her away, are you?"

Naeun took a brief minute to think about what he had just said. Then, she whirled her head around him and glared at him.

"So what if I say that I want to chase her away? She has powers. Why isn't she going home yet?" Naeun pointed out.

"Maybe she likes it here," he said, "and I like the fact that she's here."

A pained expression crumbled her face. "Why? Why are you saying this all now?"

"It's not like anything interesting was going to happen between you and me," he blurted. Naeun felt crushed. "You and I have nothing in common."

"You don't even have anything in common with Jieun!"

"True, but she's different," Taemin said in his defense. "She's not like you."

Naeun scoffed as tears swelled up in her eyes. "Whatever! I'm going to tell her to leave as soon as possible!"

"Why can't you just be quiet and be happy for me?" he asked in a monotonous voice.

"Because I can't believe that you have someone you like!" she cried out. "You? Love someone? Why? Why are you in love with someone right now? There were so many girls and other attractive creatures, but out of all the people, you fell in love with her? How?"

"It just happened," Taemin said with a shrug.

"It doesn't 'just happen,' okay? There has to be some kind of reason, some kind of build up!" she exclaimed. She groaned. "Whatever! I don't want to hear any more from you. I'm going to tell her that she has to leave. Right now. Right here."

"What about Mino?"

"Who cares! I just want her out!" Naeun yelled. She didn't even wait for him to respond. She marched out of the cottage and headed straight into the forest.

Taemin, who was still sitting down at the table, let out an exhausted sigh. He snapped his fingers as a small burst of flame appeared in his hand and continued to play with it.

She'll get over it soon, he assured himself. She'll get over it…soon.

When a good ten minutes passed, Naeun found Jieun squatting down and picking out berries from the bush. Jieun eventually looked up after suspecting that she was being watched. She smiled at Naeun and pointed at the bush.

"Look! I found some berries!" she reported. "I saw a few animals eat them, so I assumed that they're edible—"

"Leave."

Jieun paused. She stared at Naeun, a little shocked to hear such a cold demand from her.

"E-Excuse me?"

"Leave. Now. Go," Naeun ordered. "I don't want you in our group anymore. You're being a nuisance."

Jieun dropped her jaws. "A-Are you being serious?"

"Yeah. Leave us. You have special powers. You can fend for yourself."

"I can't just leave without Mino—"

"Then tell him to meet you over here. I just don't want you around us anymore," Naeun said.

"Why? What happened? Did I do something wrong?" Jieun paled. "I know that I'm being hunted down and everything, and I know that this is probably annoying you, but please, I have nowhere else to go. I tried to wish myself to go home, but it didn't work—"

"I don't care," Naeun declared. "I just want you to go."

Jieun stared at her. "Naeun…"

"Leave!"

"Does this have anything to do with Taemin?"

Naeun felt her heart throb at the sound of his name. "Yeah, it does."

"Naeun, I swear, there's nothing going on between me and him!"

"I don't care! I just don't like it!" Naeun shouted. "I don't like the fact that he's interested in you and that he just wants you by his side." She ran her fingers through her hair. "It's like I don't matter anymore! I don't like it!" She glared at Jieun. "I don't like changes, and these changes happened because of you. You know, I used to be just roaming around the places I wanted to roam around. I didn't need to hide or get captured or be tortured. I was able to freely roam around, but…but…" She gritted her teeth. "Ever since you and Mino started making an appearance, you two just ruined everything! Peace? I don't even know what that means anymore!"

She's really angry, Jieun realized. She's angry, confused, and upset. How can I comfort her? What do I do in this type of situation? Do I tell her that I'm not interested in Taemin? She swallowed hard. I can't do that. I can't lie to myself like that.

"Please, I'm begging you…" Naeun whimpered. "Can you please just leave?"

Jieun started to reach out her arms. "Naeun, I—"

Swoosh! 

The two girls both widened their eyes in horror as they felt a knife-like wind gush right between them. They two girls quickly whirled their heads in the direction of the wind, were they saw a half-moon axe stuck against one of the trees. Jieun rapidly looked at Naeun before gasping.

"Naeun! You got cut!" Jieun exclaimed.

A line of blood gushed out right below Naeun's eyes. She started breathing hard as adrenaline rushed throughout her body. Naeun stared at Jieun before the two girls looked at the source of the attack. They both froze in fear when they saw the royal white robes surrounding them.

Sohee grunted and her lips, clearly frustrated about how she wasn't successful.

"Dang it," she muttered. "I walked miles and miles just to miss? Are you kidding me?"

At a distance, someone started to play a hypnotizing song on the guitar. Naeun, knowing exactly what was going on, quickly made a sound-deflecting sphere over herself and Jieun as the two girls stood back-to-back. Jieun stared at the entire mess, completely confused with what was going on.

"W-What's happening?" Jieun asked.

"There's an orphic out there!" Naeun informed her.

"O-Orphic?"

"They're creatures who can play music and hypnotize people. Whatever you do, do not listen to their song!"

"I can't hear a thing that's happening outside with this sphere," Jieun pointed out.

"Jieun, they're after you. I'm going to make a sphere around you and it's going to last a few minutes. During that time, run and get some help," Naeun instructed.

"Wait, what's going to happen to you?"

"I'll stay back and fight."

"Against a person who's going to hypnotize you? You're crazy!"

"I can't protect the both of us all the time. This wind only prevents sound from entering. If they start attacking, then I'll be useless. Weapons can still go through this shield."

"I'll attack!"

"You can't attack! You can only wish for stuff!"

"M-Maybe I can wish for another power?"

"No, I'm not going to risk that. Just go and call Taemin, okay? I'll delay the attack as much as I can," Naeun said.

Jieun frowned at her. "Why can't you rely on me for a little bit? Everyone else trusted me when I had my powers!"

"You don't know how to control it!"

"I can always figure it out!"

"What if you mess up? We'll both by hypnotized and you might be ordered to kill me or something!"

"Wait, wait. Why aren't they attacking?" Jieun asked.

"What?"

"No one is attacking us so far. Look!"

Naeun scowled, but looked anyway. She observed the entire army, trying to figure out what was going on. Just like Jieun said, no one was attacking. Rather, they just stared at Naeun and Jieun in a monotonous way with a half-dazed look. Naeun frowned, trying to figure out what was going on.

They aren't moving an inch, Naeun realized. They're just staring at us. She glanced at the tree with the axe. Captain Sohee didn't even get her weapon. She thought hard about the situation before arriving the a conclusion. That hypnotizing song wasn't for us.

She lowered her barrier before diminishing it completely. The two girls looked around, confused at what was going on. Naeun squinted her eyes and looked around, noticing Yonghwa standing on top of the tree.

"Captain Yonghwa of the Fourth Court," Naeun murmured.

Yonghwa stopped playing his song. "I'm pleasantly surprised that you know who I am."

"You're very famous. You're the orphic who can control anything, even unnatural objects."

"Correct, correct!" Yonghwa smirked. "I'm very impressed!"

"What are you trying to do?" Naeun asked. "You hypnotized everyone except for us two."

"Mm. Well, hypnotizing the Wanted One would be nice, but I wasn't sure what kind of tricks you two would have on your sleeve," Yonghwa explained. "It was easy to get Sohee to believe in me, but in all honesty, the plan of hypnotizing the Wanted One was just far too ambitious."

"Looks like you're labeled as the 'Wanted One' now," Naeun mumbled to Jieun.

"I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing," Jieun whispered back.

"So as much as I think having the Wanted One under my spell would be nice, I just thought, 'Why not build myself an army and have them catch her for me?' It'd help take off all the load off my shoulder," Yonghwa said innocently.

"How about we don't capture her and leave us alone?" Naeun suggested.

Yonghwa pressed his lips together. "You know, that sounds quite…" A wicked smirk appeared on his face, "boring." 

He lifted his arm high in the air, preparing himself. Naeun widened her eyes before blasting a small flying tornado right below Jieun's feet. Jieun gasped as she started to fly up in the air.

"Go get help!" Naeun ordered, moving her arms in a wide circle as Jieun get spinning in the air.

"Wait, what about you?" Jieun yelled from above.

"Just get help!" Naeun screamed back. "And cover your ears!"

The last thing Jieun saw before Naeun flew her back to the cottage was Yonghwa strumming the guitar as the entire white-robed army lunged towards Naeun, drowning her in the sea of insane purity.